1. The Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to the field of reusing recyclable materials. More particularly, the invention relates to methods and processes for converting plastic and cellulose-based materials into alternative fuel mediums and/or structural products.
2. The Relevant Technology
Each day, millions of products are discarded by individuals, families, municipalities, and various industries within the consuming public, thereby also creating thousands, if not millions, of tons of various plastic and organic waste byproducts. At the same time, landfill capacity is diminishing, thereby creating future disposal problems. Composting and incineration can be used to help remedy these disposal problems, but both options have some limits in their overall feasibility. Composting, for example, requires less general space than a landfill, but the composting process takes time to work and can generally be used for only certain types of waste byproducts. Incineration, another alternative which is available for a wider range of waste byproducts, can create exhaust fumes which may be damaging to the ozone layer. Moreover, when byproducts are incinerated, the heat generated is usually lost and not put to use in generating heat or other energy that can be used by homes, businesses, and the like.
Such difficulties, along with waste management costs, promote an increasing interest in recovering and reclaiming such waste products for environmentally safe practices. As such, there is tremendous activity intent on developing alternative processes and treatment technologies to manage non-hazardous wastes. Therefore, it would be beneficial to develop a process that can efficiently and cost effectively convert multiple types of waste byproducts into useful materials usable for: (i) heat and/or energy generation; and/or (ii) structural, sound attenuation, and/or insulation materials.